Facts About Vulnerable Patients

The movement toward health equity is critically necessary to build a healthier future

OCHIN serves providers caring for the nation’s most vulnerable patients.

Many factors can play a role in making people more vulnerable to disparities in health care and outcomes, such as:

· Race and ethnicity

· Gender

· Having low or no income

· Lack of insurance

· A primary language other than English

· Sexual orientation and gender identity

· Living with disability

· Having multiple conditions

· Veteran status

· Living situation

· Housing security

· Transportation access

Addressing the many ways these things interact is essential to strengthening primary care systems, evidence, and health policy to reduce disparities across diverse communities.

That’s why we at OCHIN equip community health centers with the best available information tools and build a representative evidence base for improved primary care practice and policy.

Facts about the patients served by OCHIN member health centers and clinics

Of the 6.4 million active patients served by OCHIN-hosted electronic health records, more than half (52 percent) are below the federal poverty level ($25,100 a year for a family of four).

51 percent

Use Medicaid

29 percent

Are children

21 percent

Do not have health insurance

30 percent

Identify as Hispanic

53 percent

Are women

5 percent

Are homeless

Facts about community health centers

Community health centers (or CHCs) make affordable, high-quality primary care available to people who are medically underserved. Anyone can get care at a community health center regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

Compared to the general population, community health center patients are disproportionately poor, members of racial and ethnic minorities, and living with multiple chronic conditions.

Community health centers provide care across the lifespan and offer a variety of services such as school-based health, dental care, behavioral health, and vision.

Community health centers have better outcomes than other primary care providers in low-income settings.

Community health centers receive less money but have better results in several key quality measures compared to private practices.

Here are a few facts about community health centers and the 27 million patients they serve nationwide: